Watch: Peyton Manning’s full Hall of Fame induction speech
After 18 sensational seasons on the NFL gridiron, No. 18’s place in football folklore and the Hall was always a mere formality. Beloved by Colts, Broncos and neutral fans alike, Manning endeared himself further to the footballing public with an incredible speech.
At the first attempt, the Sheriff was enshrined into pro football’s greatest fraternity.
After 18 sensational seasons on the NFL gridiron, No. 18’s place in football folklore and the Hall was always a mere formality. Beloved by Colts, Broncos and neutral fans alike, Manning endeared himself further to the footballing public with an incredible speech.
As ever, Peyton carried himself with grace, displaying his typically sharp sense of humor and effortlessly motivating style.
Thousands across social media praised Manning for his incredible speech, with one respected NFL figure going as far as to suggest he would be NFL Commissioner material.
Manning’s career stats:
2x Super Bowl Champion
Super Bowl MVP
5x NFL MVP
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year
7x First-team All-Pro
Most TDs in an NFL season (55)
Most passing yards in an NFL season (5,477)
Most TDs in an NFL game (7)
And many more, which if we noted, will be finished after Tom Brady’s ninth Super Bowl win.
Bill Belichick reveals the best QB he’s ever faced
The defensive mastermind has seen his fair share of quarterbacks over the years, but he holds one in the highest esteem, above all else. Spoiler: It’s not Tom Brady.
After 46 years in the league and six Super Bowl wins as a head coach, there are none better qualified than Bill Belichick to talk about quarterback play.
The defensive mastermind has seen his fair share of quarterbacks over the years, but he holds one in the highest esteem, above all else. Spoiler: It’s not Tom Brady.
Belichick has never faced Brady, so on a technicality, he’s disqualified from this conversation. Though it would be incredible viewing if he was asked this same question after TB12 and the Bucs visit Foxboro on October 3.
Anyway, back to Belichick. Here he is discussing the greatest signal-caller he’s ever faced and there’s no surprise he hails from football’s finest family. Despite his record against New England, it isn’t Eli, rather his brother and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Peyton.
“He is definitely the best quarterback I’ve coached against,” Belichick told Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.
“There have been quarterbacks who called their own plays, but it was nowhere near the same as what he did. He basically called every play by adjusting and/or changing the play once he saw what the defense was doing,” he said.
“He (Peyton) excelled at using the cadence and recognizing blitzes, and more than any one single offensive player, he forced us to change and adapt defensive game plans.”
While in a magnanimous mood Belichick praised Manning’s fellow class-men; former NFL coaches and friends Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher.
“Jimmy’s command of personnel, coaching, trades, and the draft made him one of the all-time master team builders,” Belichick said.
“He took a team from 1-15 and turned it into a three-time Super Bowl champion. Jimmy’s defenses — his 4-3 split safety scheme — were as good as I have coached against. Jimmy is a great friend who has given me a lot of good advice throughout much of my career.”
Cowher — who won Super Bowl XL with Pittsburgh — was also lavished by Belichick.
”Bill had a tremendous NFL career that encompassed a lot — player, assistant coach, coordinator, and head coach,” Belichick said.
“Schematically his teams were one of the very best over the course of two decades. Our teams had some fiercely competitive battles that made me a better coach. I admire and learned from his complete mastery of coaching essentials — motivation, strategy, fundamentals, and physical play. Bill and I have been close friends for 35 years and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
The comeback is Von - Miller ‘whooping’ ass ahead of return
Denver Broncos legend Von Miller has been somewhat of a forgotten figure in league circles. Though all of that is about to change, as the devastating linebacker readies for his return. Some even say Von is back to his terrifying best.
Speaking to Denver media on Friday, Broncos kicker — and good friend of Miller — Brandon McManus shared just how scary No. 58 is looking ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
“He's been training for two years now, unfortunately last year with him getting hurt, training his butt off out there in California, and he's never looked any better,” McManus said.
“Him and I talk. We joke about–obviously everyone doubts his age and stuff like that. I think the first week he made a comment on how he's still whooping all these people's butts. They were 22, 23 years old. That's just who he is.”
McManus believes Miller’s mindset is key of his undeniable greatness, not too different to another of Colorado’s favorite sons.
“Just similar to Peyton [Manning]–whatever these guys put their minds to, they're able to accomplish. That's just the kind of competitors that they are and the athletes that they are. So I don't see anything slowing him down personally. I'm excited to watch him finally, for two years now, to get back out there and dominate like he did before.
“For the defense and the team as well, it's a huge mood boost to have somebody, the franchise sack leader, on the field with you and the way he's able to disrupt and help Bradley [Chubb] on the other side and help everybody on the field because similar as you know from our 2015 year, we had an incredible pass rush which means that our corners and safeties get to sit a little earlier because they don't have to cover for so long and it creates a lot of opportunities which turns into our [offensive] opportunities.”
McManus also lifted the lid on Von’s magnetic personality and how it effects teammates inside the Broncos’ Englewood facility.
“He's just a huge asset to have on the team, both physically and in the locker room,” McManus said of Miller.
“He's kind of like a glue. A lot of guys will come, and they'll get stuck to him. He has an infectious personality; it's fun. He loves to work, as you guys know.”
If Miller takes part in Denver’s first preseason game — as expected — on August 14, it will be his first steps on the gridiron since December 12, 2019 where the Broncos defeated the then-Oakland Raiders.
Buckle up AFC, the Vonster is coming for your quarterback.
Why Von Miller believes Peyton Manning - and not Tom Brady - is the GOAT
Hold up now, just wait a second.
Before the outcry, we must be fair to Von and point out his thoughts are from late October 2020 -- long before Brady and the Bucs got it together and dominated the Chiefs. Perhaps his opinion has since changed, but judging by his love for Peyton that’s as likely as a flying pig.
What’s perhaps most interesting about Von Miller’s GOAT take is the question was never raised about Manning or Brady was never raised. Von decided to take it upon himself to assert Peyton Manning as the greatest of all time.
Irrespective of who you side with, Von’s love and admiration for Peyton -- both as a player and as a human being -- is palpable.
“He is the real deal and he’s the GOAT,” Miller said of his former Super Bowl winning teammate.
“They have these discussions about Peyton and Tom Brady, and Tom Brady, he’s won a lot of Super Bowl’s and I’m a Tom Brady fan but Peyton Manning, he changed the position of quarterback from an audible position on the line to being a technician, going about his game, knowing the defense and that’s why Peyton Manning is the GOAT in my eyes.”
“Of course we’ve got Tom Brady and I’m a big Tom Brady fan and everything he does man, but I played with Peyton Manning man, and I got to experience what type of guy he was, what type of player he was and what type of leader he was. He’ll always get my vote on being the GOAT, ‘cause he truly was.”
As for what Peyton Manning was truly like, away from the public eye, Von took us into the Broncos locker room, detailing the tendencies and nuances of Denver’s favorite son.
“I’m just taken to the image that I have of Peyton Manning. Him being in the locker room, just being around Peyton Manning, he was just a true leader man, a true leader of men,” he said when asked about Peyton’s most memorable qualities.
“If he did mess up on anything, he went about his business, so professional man and he never made the same mistake twice. He handled adversity off the football field, on the football field, he was the same guy every single day.
“He knew the coaches, he knew the players, he knew the players’ kids, he knew the janitors by first name and had conversations with all these guys. He was a real superhero man, it’s not a facade, it’s not anything fake, it was just him.”
Does Peyton Manning really run around in Von Miller’s backyard?! To find out, along with more of Von Miller’s conversation with Patrick Djordjevic, click here.